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Thread: Successful gasoline to propane generator conversion

  1. #1

    Exclamation Successful gasoline to propane generator conversion

    So, last week I ordered the SEK - 4A and SEK - 5A propane conversion kits from Century Fuel Products.

    http://www.usgemini.com/Generator-Conversion-Kit.html

    $240 for everything.

    They arrived today, and after about a half an hour positioning everything and making up fittings, and another half hour or 45 minutes to install, and the generator is up and running on propane power.



    5000 watts of heaters and 250 watts of halogen light.



    The low pressure demand regulator. The large set screw with lock nut at the top is the demand needle valve. You manually set this for optimum run at peak load and then lock it in place. The empty set screw sockets on the top of the rail are for the gasoline tank, which is removable on this model. These two holes required drilling through the frame.



    This is not the best shot of this, if anybody is really curious, let me know and I'll take a better picture. What you are looking at is the "injector block", basically a circular jet ring, milled out of aluminum, that bolts directly ahead of the stock carb with extension studs.

    This was the only problem that I ran into, these extension studs were threaded metric and I needed 1/4" x 20. No worries, a few minutes with a tap and die had them ready to go.

    The low pressure gas from the demand regulator is fed in here. Important to note is that all of the stock gasoline carb equipment is still in place. I have the tank removed for ease of work and clarity, but all that has to happen is to bolt the tank back on and hook up the fuel line to run regular gas. All the original carb parts, choke and air filter stay in place and will function normally.



    Another view of the demand regulator. The kit came with black iron closed nipples, elbows and a brass ball valve to make a shut off connection at this point, but I connected the line from the tank regulator directly to the demand regulator to cut down on weight, connections that might leak and things to get hung up on. Since it was going directly to the portable tank with a shut off valve three feet away, I didn't see the need unless I hook it up to the low pressure feed line off my 100 gallon propane tank. I don't anticipate using that unless $#@! really hits the fan.

    So far, runs like a champ, and now I can store emergency generator fuel without having to worry about it going bad in three months like the gasoline will nowadays.

    I highly recommend this kit.

    Post in the thread if you have any questions, I'll try to answer them
    Another mark of a tyrant is that he likes foreigners better than citizens, and lives with them and invites them to his table; for the one are enemies, but the Others enter into no rivalry with him. - Aristotle's Politics Book 5 Part 11



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  3. #2
    Nice!

    I remember checking out a friends old milk truck that was converted over. I don't remember all of what was involved but it seemed very simple. I think it was like you say, everything still there but it I'm thinking it had a copper line running the propane gas in through the top of the carburetor. I also sort of remember the back of the milk truck littered with empty propane tanks.


    Now that I think about it, it all seemed so simple a person could, how do I say it,,, MacGyver a system together for a car if you had too.

  4. #3
    Quote Originally Posted by Carson View Post
    Nice!

    I remember checking out a friends old milk truck that was converted over. I don't remember all of what was involved but it seemed very simple. I think it was like you say, everything still there but it I'm thinking it had a copper line running the propane gas in through the top of the carburetor. I also sort of remember the back of the milk truck littered with empty propane tanks.


    Now that I think about it, it all seemed so simple a person could, how do I say it,,, MacGyver a system together for a car if you had too.
    Yes, you could just run a line straight down the air breather or intake manifold or carb and make it work, but it would be unsafe and waste a lot of fuel.

    The demand regulator is the key component in all of this.

  5. #4
    You the man. Thanks for sharing! Definitely looking into this.

    I had a buddy who's dad had a Corvair with a propane conversion back in the early 80's. Never got to ride in it or really check it out though.

    I did the math for a Jeep conversion (258) out here but the expected mpg and cost of propane doesn't add up. For an emergency/occasional generator it would make sense for us.
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  6. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    Yes, you could just run a line straight down the air breather or intake manifold or carb and make it work, but it would be unsafe and waste a lot of fuel.

    The demand regulator is the key component in all of this.
    I can't remember what it had for a gas peddle. With your generator I think you've got a valve there and it can be adjusted to run a pretty steady speed. With a vehicle it might be pretty hairy trying to throttle it like a Model A.

  7. #6
    Quote Originally Posted by bunklocoempire View Post
    You the man. Thanks for sharing! Definitely looking into this.

    I had a buddy who's dad had a Corvair with a propane conversion back in the early 80's. Never got to ride in it or really check it out though.

    I did the math for a Jeep conversion (258) out here but the expected mpg and cost of propane doesn't add up. For an emergency/occasional generator it would make sense for us.
    Thanks!

    Yeah, I don't think as an economy move it would pay off, this is simply to get to the point where I do not have to store gas around the property anymore. That is next to impossible with the $#@! gas being foisted off on us and I'm not willing to hump back and forth to the nearest FBO and pay $7 or $8 bucks a gallon for 100LL avgas.

    I've got 6 relatively new #20 BBQ tanks and 100 gallons of propane for the house, and anywhere from 200 to 500 gallons of #2 diesel in the heating oil tanks that, in a pinch could be used in the new Jetta, and the other two vehicles both have huge internal gasoline tanks.

    One five gallon container of premium with Sta-Bil for the small 2 strokes/lawnmowers, and I'm set.

  8. #7
    Quote Originally Posted by Carson View Post
    I can't remember what it had for a gas peddle. With your generator I think you've got a valve there and it can be adjusted to run a pretty steady speed. With a vehicle it might be pretty hairy trying to throttle it like a Model A.
    The throttle is set and governed mechanically, that is what maintains 60 cycles.

    The fuel is increased or decreased by the demand placed on the vacuum regulator.

    Basically, as the engine sucks harder, it releases more propane.

    Safety bonus, if the engine stalls or dies in use, the demand regulator shuts the flow of gas off.

  9. #8
    The Conch Trains in Key West used propane, (since the 70s). Had a good set up and ran Jeep engines.
    Not sure on MPG. But Propane is drastically cheaper than Gasoline,, and it stores.

    Nice set up. Grats.
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  11. #9
    Nice. I'm considering this for my genny.

  12. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by pcosmar View Post
    The Conch Trains in Key West used propane, (since the 70s). Had a good set up and ran Jeep engines.
    Not sure on MPG. But Propane is drastically cheaper than Gasoline,, and it stores.

    Nice set up. Grats.
    Thanks, that was the primary reason for doing this.

    I had been keeping and rotating a fairly large amount of gasoline and it's just an aching PITA anymore, it really is next to impossible with the $#@! that is being passed off for gas anymore and the last thing I needed was to find out I had nothing but a bunch of phase separated $#@! instead of fuel, when I needed it.

  13. #11
    Awesome! Now I'd like to see someone I know build one of these. (Run gasoline engine off used motor oil and water).

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  14. #12
    Gonna have to look at that some more...^^^^

    Has me scratching my head.

    Can anyone thumbnail the engineering principles?

  15. #13
    ^^^^ Anybody?

  16. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    ^^^^ Anybody?
    I'll take a stab at it. Somehow the heat from the exhaust is supposed to start a plasma reaction that converts the water and hydrocarbons into a burnable gas. It's clear to my how this works in "bingo fuel" reactor where carbon electrodes separate the water into hydrogen and oxygen and combine with water to make a usable fuel. But I don't know who the GEET reactor gets started. That's why I was hoping you, with your mechanical know how, could figure it out. One of my summer projects will be to attempt to build one and see what happens.
    9/11 Thermate experiments

    Winston Churchhill on why the U.S. should have stayed OUT of World War I

    "I am so %^&*^ sick of this cult of Ron Paul. The Paulites. What is with these %^&*^ people? Why are there so many of them?" YouTube rant by "TheAmazingAtheist"

    "We as a country have lost faith and confidence in freedom." -- Ron Paul

    "It can be a challenge to follow the pronouncements of President Trump, as he often seems to change his position on any number of items from week to week, or from day to day, or even from minute to minute." -- Ron Paul
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian4Liberty View Post
    The road to hell is paved with good intentions. No need to make it a superhighway.
    Quote Originally Posted by osan View Post
    The only way I see Trump as likely to affect any real change would be through martial law, and that has zero chances of success without strong buy-in by the JCS at the very minimum.

  17. #15
    Thanks.
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  18. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by jmdrake View Post
    I'll take a stab at it. Somehow the heat from the exhaust is supposed to start a plasma reaction that converts the water and hydrocarbons into a burnable gas. It's clear to my how this works in "bingo fuel" reactor where carbon electrodes separate the water into hydrogen and oxygen and combine with water to make a usable fuel. But I don't know who the GEET reactor gets started. That's why I was hoping you, with your mechanical know how, could figure it out. One of my summer projects will be to attempt to build one and see what happens.
    OK...let me mull that over, thanks.



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  20. #17
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    Gonna have to look at that some more...^^^^

    Has me scratching my head.

    Can anyone thumbnail the engineering principles?
    My first thought was remembering stories about stories like this during the Great Depression. Paper in one end, cash out of the other sort of thing.

  21. #18
    I thought of this when I saw jmdrake's vid w/the mention of heat from the exhaust is supposed to start a plasma reaction... :



    Just slap some wheels on it...
    Last edited by bunklocoempire; 05-19-2013 at 11:44 PM.
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    "I think the propaganda machine is the biggest problem that we face today in trying to get the truth out to people."
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  22. #19
    Quote Originally Posted by bunklocoempire View Post
    I thought of this when I saw jmdrake's vid w/the mention of heat from the exhaust is supposed to start a plasma reaction... :



    Just slap some wheels on it...
    Hmmm.....could this all be as simple as an oil/water fire.

    9/11 Thermate experiments

    Winston Churchhill on why the U.S. should have stayed OUT of World War I

    "I am so %^&*^ sick of this cult of Ron Paul. The Paulites. What is with these %^&*^ people? Why are there so many of them?" YouTube rant by "TheAmazingAtheist"

    "We as a country have lost faith and confidence in freedom." -- Ron Paul

    "It can be a challenge to follow the pronouncements of President Trump, as he often seems to change his position on any number of items from week to week, or from day to day, or even from minute to minute." -- Ron Paul
    Quote Originally Posted by Brian4Liberty View Post
    The road to hell is paved with good intentions. No need to make it a superhighway.
    Quote Originally Posted by osan View Post
    The only way I see Trump as likely to affect any real change would be through martial law, and that has zero chances of success without strong buy-in by the JCS at the very minimum.

  23. #20
    I'm thinking maybe boiling (cracking) out the light hydrocarbons from the used oil

  24. #21
    Another outfit that makes conversion kits.

    http://www.uscarburetion.com/

  25. #22
    Thunderstorms about, power flickering...might have to use it for real.

  26. #23
    There's a nice little write up from a Mother Earth News circa 1972 on their website:
    http://www.motherearthnews.com/green...#axzz2X5xyAoTy

    Might be helpful.
    XNN
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  27. #24
    Why would you do that? (Serious question.)



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  29. #25
    Quote Originally Posted by angelatc View Post
    Why would you do that? (Serious question.)
    Some "off grid" posts made me want to bump this, but I never saw your question, so of course could not answer it.

    The primary reason above everything else:

    $#@! gasoline sold these days with ethanol additives goes bad in about 2 months of storage, now matter how much you try and treat it.

    When it does, it can cause major engine damage, especially to two stroke engines.

    Keeping liquid fuel, (the EPA mandated ULS diesel is almost as bad) handy and fresh is next to impossible anymore.

    As long as the tanks don't get wet and rust out or leak, propane never goes bad.

    Important fact from an off grid or "prepper" POV.
    Last edited by Anti Federalist; 03-26-2014 at 10:09 PM.

  30. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by Anti Federalist View Post
    Some "off grid" posts made me want to bump this, but I never saw your question, so of course could not answer it.

    The primary reason above everything else:

    $#@! gasoline sold these days with ethanol additives goes bad in about 2 months of storage, now matter how much you try and treat it.

    When it does, it can cause major engine damage, especially to two stroke engines.

    Keeping liquid fuel, (the EPA mandated ULS diesel is almost as bad) handy and fresh is next to impossible anymore.

    As long as the tanks don't get wet and rust out or leak, propane never goes bad.

    Important fact from an off grid or "prepper" POV.
    That's exactly why I did that to my generator. I also have the added convenience of the 1000 gallon propane tank I'm using to run my furnace, water heater and dryer with. Now I will never have to worry about not having fuel to run my generator in the dead of winter. As long as I have fuel to run my furnace, I'll have electricity to run it as well.

  31. #27

  32. #28
    Nice, but those lights may attract zombies if the entire power grid goes out.

  33. #29
    Hurricane bump

  34. #30
    that oil/water fire concept would work well with two gear pumps to control feed rate that are locked 2.5:1 water/oil

    feed the water gear pump with pressure regulated water and a pin valve...
    have water flow through gear pump that puts out 2.5 units per rotation
    have water gear pump shaft drive oil gear pump shaft that puts out 1.0 units per rotation
    feed the oil gear pump via gravity tank
    then you're maintaining steady water/oil ratio that would be more reliable than two independent drips
    Last edited by presence; 10-04-2016 at 03:14 PM.

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